Our Town: Coach Mike and the Franklin Lions

FRANKLIN, Texas ( FOX 44 ) — In late 2024, former Franklin football coach Mike Hedrick passed away, leaving a legacy that still sits fresh in the minds of the people who knew him.

William Michael Hedrick, a.k.a. “Coach Mike,” was posthumously inducted in the Texas High School Coach Association’s Hall of Honor earlier this year. He joins his father Joseph Hedrick, who was inducted in 1979.

Coach Mike’s contributions to football in both Franklin and in Texas cannot be understated. He guided the Franklin Lions to their first ever state championship appearance in 2015, and set up the team for sustained success after his retirement in 2019.

Current Franklin head coach Mark Fannin took over from Coach Mike in 2020, and has had a very successful run with the team. The Lions made it to the 3A state championships four times in a row and had back-to-back championship wins. Fannin attributes a lot of that success to Coach Mike.

“He’s a legend in my mind and I learned so much from him,” said Fannin. “We didn’t change much, you know. We’re still running the O slot offense, we’re still a tough football team and we still preach the same principles and the values that he….that he….uh….brought into this program when he….when he was here.”

Coach Mike had an over 40-year career as a head coach and was the 11th Texas football coach to reach 300 career wins. Across his career he met many people, and one of them became his right hand man, Randy Ewers. They worked together in Tyler, before Coach Mike had an opportunity to move closer to home in Leon County. That wouldn’t be an issue normally, but Coach Mike wanted Ewers to come with.

“He says, ‘Ewers, I’ll give you my salary if you’ll come.’ and I thought, ‘Man, he really wants me to come. I guess he thinks I’m a good coach,'” said Ewers. “I said, ‘No, I don’t need your salary.’ I said, ‘But I’ll be with you.'”

And the pair worked in Leon for eight years, before Ewers pursued a head coach position of his own. He eventually came back to Leon and then the pair took off to Franklin. Over the years at Franklin, Coach Mike’s coaching staff consisted of Ewers, Fannin, and his own brother Joseph Hedrick among others. Joseph says working under Coach Mike was a great exeprience.

“I was very comfortable working with him. Of course, being my brother, we grew up together,” said Joseph. “He cared a lot for the kids. He was really all into to taking care of the kids, uh, teaching them.”

When Coach Mike passed it left a void in the city, and in the football program. That void was filled with support and condolences from the entire city.

“The outpouring of affection for him was, was very special,” said Joseph.

Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KWKT - FOX 44.

Indexed and credited by AIPROPX. Originating outlet: Yahoo Sports. Open at source →